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Saturday, 12 July 2025

Food Updates : S’pore’s First Prata Vending Machine Dispenses Warm Prata & Curry, But There’s A Catch


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ChatGPT :

Summary:

Singapore's first prata vending machine, a collaboration between Springleaf Prata Place and One Halal Nation, has launched at Lion City Sailors Training Centre on Mattar Road. It dispenses warm shredded prata in a cup, served with separately packed fish curry. The catch? The prata isn't whole — you must pour the curry into the cup, which may not appeal to those who prefer dipping. The machine took three years to develop and operates daily from 9am–9pm. More machines are planned for schools and offices across Singapore.

Friday, 11 July 2025

Technology Updates : New Apple Watch AI Model Can Reveal Hidden Health Conditions


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ChatGPT : 

Summary:

A new Apple-backed AI model, the Wearable Behavior Model (WBM), uses Apple Watch behavioral data (e.g., sleep, movement, activity patterns) to predict health conditions more accurately than traditional sensor-based methods. Trained on data from 160,000 participants and over 2.5 billion hours of data, it excels at detecting both static health states (like medication use) and transient conditions (like respiratory infections or sleep issues), with up to 92% accuracy for pregnancy when combined with biometric data. This shows the potential of Apple Watch to detect hidden health issues through long-term behavioral trends.

Rewards Updates : FlyAnywhere now supports award flight redemptions


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ChatGPT : 

Summary:

HeyMax’s FlyAnywhere now supports redemptions for award flight taxes and surcharges, not just commercial tickets. You can redeem Max Miles at 1.8 cents each, but full redemptions are required again (no partial redemptions).

Redemptions apply to any flight—budget/full-service, any airline—even award tickets not booked via HeyMax partners. Redemptions can be made for others and for flights taken in the past month.

This gives users more ways to cash out Max Miles, though the value has dropped from the previous 2 cents. FlyAnywhere now effectively sets a floor value for Max Miles at 1.8 cents

Thursday, 10 July 2025

Rewards Updates : Which cards track spending by transaction date vs posting date?


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ChatGPT : 


Summary: Which Credit Cards Track by Transaction Date vs Posting Date?


When chasing credit card rewards, timing matters—especially near the end of a month or spending period. Whether spending is tracked by transaction date (when you buy) or posting date (when it's processed by the bank) affects whether you hit bonus caps or minimum spend requirements.


πŸ” Key Difference


- Transaction date: When you make the purchase.

- Posting date: When the bank processes the transaction (usually 1–3 days later).


πŸ’³ Which Cards Track by Transaction Date?


Only DBS and Maybank cards track spending by transaction date, but both come with caveats:


DBS Cards (e.g. DBS Woman’s World, DBS yuu)


- Track by transaction date.

- BUT the date is based on merchant/acquirer timezone, not Singapore time—can be unpredictable.


Maybank Cards


- Maybank Horizon Visa Signature: Transactions made in Month X but posted by the 6th of Month X+1 count towards Month X.

- Maybank World Mastercard: Same logic, but cutoff is the 7th.

- Maybank Visa Infinite: No special treatment—likely based on posting date only.


πŸ’³ Cards That Track by Posting Date (Most Others)


- UOB (Lady’s, PPV, Visa Signature)

- Citi (Rewards)

- HSBC (Revolution)

- OCBC (Rewards)

- Standard Chartered (Journey, Smart, Visa Infinite)


⚠️ Common Pitfalls


- Spending on 30th/31st of the month may post in the next month, causing:


- Missed bonus caps

- Failed welcome bonus minimum spend

- Reduced miles earning rate


πŸ› Merchants That Often Post Same-Day (Risky but Useful)


Some merchants reportedly post transactions on the same day:


- 7-11

- Cold Storage

- Food Republic

- Genki Sushi

- Starbucks

- Toastbox

  (No guarantees—depends on outlet, bank, and payment network.)


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Bottom Line


- DBS and Maybank give the best shot at “last-minute” spend counting—but timing is still tricky.

- For most other cards, plan to spend at least 2–3 days before month-end to ensure it counts.

- Always verify cutoff policies in card T&Cs to avoid disappointment.





Investing Updates : Mapping Temasek's 2025 Portfolio: Net Value Achieving Historic Highs Amid Global Tensions


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ChatGPT :


Summary: Mapping Temasek's 2025 Portfolio — Net Value at Record High Amid Global Tensions


Temasek Holdings’ net portfolio value hit a historic high of S$434 billion (up 11.6%) in FY ending March 2025, boosted by strong returns from Singapore-listed firms and global investments, especially in the U.S., China, and India. Including mark-to-market gains from unlisted assets, the total would be S$469 billion.


Key Portfolio Segments:


- Singapore Portfolio Companies (41%): Anchored by firms like DBS, SIA, Singtel, and ST Engineering, delivering stability, steady dividends, and strong growth.

- Global Direct Investments (36%): Includes Tencent, Sea, Adyen, and BlackRock, capturing global tech and healthcare growth.

- Partnerships & Funds (23%): Investments via asset managers and private equity funds like Brookfield, Seviora, and Vertex.


Regional Allocation:


- Singapore remains top (27%), followed by the Americas (24%), China (18%), India (8%), and others (23%).


Growth Drivers:


- Singapore blue-chips rebounded strongly.

- U.S. tech firms, especially NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Apple, led global gains.

- China investments targeted green economy and tech (e.g., Tencent, Meituan).

- India saw rising focus on consumer and healthcare sectors (Haldiram Snacks, Manipal Health).


AI & Future Strategy:


Temasek is investing across the AI value chain—Nvidia, Broadcom, Databricks, Waymo—and joined the AI Infrastructure Partnership with Microsoft and BlackRock. It’s also expanding into renewable energy (Keppel, Sembcorp) and digital infrastructure (data centers, telcos).


Outlook:


Despite global challenges, Temasek’s disciplined, adaptive, and diversified approach has delivered 7% annual returns over 20 years, balancing resilience and innovation for sustained long-term growth.

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Sports Updates : Why tennis players grunt during matches


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ChatGPT : 

Summary: Why Tennis Players Grunt During Matches

Tennis players grunt to improve performance, regulate breathing, and release energy during strokes. Experts say grunting helps maintain rhythm and prevents breath-holding, which can hinder movement and power. It may also increase shot velocity—by up to 5%, according to studies—and psychologically pressure or distract opponents by masking the sound of the ball or disrupting timing. While controversial and often criticized as excessive or distracting, especially in women’s tennis, it’s now common across genders. For many players, grunting becomes instinctive and is tied to their intensity and playing style.

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Sports Updates : Player faith in technology shaken by storm around AI line-calling at Wimbledon


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ChatGPT :


Summary: Player faith in technology shaken by AI line-calling at Wimbledon (7 July 2025)


Wimbledon’s first full switch to electronic line-calling (ELC) has been marred by controversy and technical failures, shaking player confidence. Despite claims of improved accuracy (2.2mm margin of error via Hawk-Eye), notable errors and outages have occurred:


- Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper criticized the system after disputed calls in their losses.

- A major incident during Pavlyuchenkova’s match revealed that ELC cameras on one side were accidentally turned off, forcing a point replay. Pavlyuchenkova accused the tournament of “stealing” the game, though she went on to win.


Wimbledon officials insist the system is accurate and blamed human error, promising new safeguards. However, trust in the AI-powered system has declined, especially after shaky rollouts on clay courts earlier in the season. With skepticism growing among players and coaches, it’s unclear if confidence will recover during the rest of the tournament.

Food Updates : McDonald’s To Launch Chilli Crab Sauce Burgers With JUMBO Seafood—Here’s Our Honest Review


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ChatGPT :


Summary: McDonald’s SG60 Launch – Chilli Crab Sauce Burgers with JUMBO Seafood (8 July 2025)


To celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday, McDonald’s is launching a limited-time SG60 menu on 10 July 2025, featuring a collaboration with JUMBO Seafood:


πŸ” Main Highlights:


- Chilli Crab Sauce Prawn Burger and Chicken Burger (from $8.95):


- Uses a sweet, mildly spicy chilli crab sauce co-created with JUMBO (50+ R&D tries).

- Prawn burger was preferred—good texture and flavour balance.

- Chicken burger had decent taste, but meat density overpowered the sauce.

- Scrambled egg inside helps absorb sauce and prevent soggy buns.

- Double prawn option available.


πŸ— Sides & Drinks:


- Kampung Drumlets (from $3.35): Fried wings with chilli, turmeric, cumin & ginger—tastes like curry chicken.

- Iced Milo Dinosaur: Milo with extra Milo powder on top.


🍰 Desserts:


- Pulut Hitam Pie (from $1.80): Creamy coconut black glutinous rice in a crispy pie shell.

- Chendol Soft Serve (from $1.30): Coconut-gula melaka ice cream (cone, Sundae, or McFlurry).


πŸŽ’ Merchandise:


- McDonald’s Thermal Lunch Bag: $7.90 with any Extra Value Meal, available from 28 July, 11am.


πŸ›΅ Available via:


All outlets, Drive-Thru, McDelivery, GrabFood, foodpanda, and Deliveroo.


Try it before it’s gone!

Rewards Updates : No Woman No Cry (Part 2): Surviving the upcoming DBS Woman’s Card and UOB Lady’s Cards nerfs


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ChatGPT : 


Here’s a concise summary of “No Woman No Cry (Part 2)” by Aaron Wong:


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From 1 August 2025, both the DBS Woman’s World Card and UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card will reduce their 4 mpd bonus caps, impacting miles chasers:


πŸ”» What’s Changing:


- DBS Woman’s World Card:


- Bonus cap drops from S$1,500 → S$1,000/month for online spend.

- Max 48,000 bonus miles/year (down from 72,000).

- Flexible online bonus still applies (except blacklisted MCCs).

- UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card:


- Bonus cap drops from S$2,000 → S$1,500/month, split into S$750/category.

- No flexibility to reallocate between categories.

- Max 72,000 bonus miles/year (down from 96,000).

- Mid-quarter nerf; next category change only allowed on 1 Oct 2025.


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🧠 Recommended Strategies:


- For DBS Woman’s World Card:


- Use for non-whitelisted online spend like HealthHub, phone bills, furniture.

- Use other cards (e.g. HSBC Revolution, OCBC Rewards, Maybank Horizon) for known bonus categories to preserve DBS cap.

- For UOB Lady’s Solitaire:


- Avoid Travel as S$750 cap is too restrictive.

- Consider Dining and Fashion (buy gift cards via HeyMax).

- May not be worth paying for Solitaire tier; downgrade to regular Lady’s Card if using only one category.


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πŸ’³ Alternative Cards (4 mpd unless stated):


- Citi Rewards: S$1K/month cap (excl. travel & wallets)

- HSBC Revolution: S$1.5K/month (till Oct 2025)

- OCBC Rewards: S$1.1K/month

- UOB Preferred Platinum: S$1.1K/month (dining, grocery, shopping, etc.)

- UOB Visa Signature: 4 mpd FCY & petrol, S$1K min, S$2K cap

- KrisFlyer UOB: 3 mpd uncapped for SIA group


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⚠️ Conclusion:


These nerfs mean less flexibility and lower caps on two key miles cards. However, alternative cards still offer strong 4 mpd potential. With careful management, savvy users can still maximize miles — just with more effort and tracking.


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